Automatic time-recorder



(Nd Model.)

1. N. LEWIS.

AUTOMATIC TIME RECORDER. No. 507,585. Patented Oct. 31, 1893.

Z Z 12 l Ill 1 jjj/l/ Y WITNESSES: INVENTUR ATTORNEY PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC N. LEWIS, OF FORT WADSWORTH, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TIME-RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 507,585, dated October 31, 1893.

Application filed October 10, 1892. Serial No. 448,275. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC N. LEWIs,a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wadsworth, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented a certain new and Improved Time-Recording Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention may be utilized for various purposes wherein it is desired to record the time expiring between successive events, and said invention is particularly adapted for the recording of a time of extremely short duration; for instance, that occupied in the flight of a projectile through a known distance. r 5

Said invention may also be applied for purposes of accuracy in recording the time of horse races, &c., and for various other purposes.

My invention consists in an apparatus the essential elements of which constitute a timepiece provided with a dial or other visible time indicator, and a photographic apparatus of any suitable character and means for actuating the latter so as to receive an impression of the position of the indicator at two or more different instants, the intervening time of which it is desired to know.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains, to understand and use the same, I will proceed to de scribe one suitable form of apparatus adapted for the purpose of my invention, explain its operation and subsequently point out the novel characteristics of said invention in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1, is a longitudinal sectional elevation showing a suitable construction of an apparatus made according to my invention adapted to automatically record the time between two events; and said figure also includes a diagrammatic representation of the application of said apparatus to determining the speed of projectiles. Figs. 2, and 3, represent face views of the two respective dials in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings: A, A, represents a suitable dark box, from which natural light is wholly excluded. Such box is mounted on a suitable tripod or other support B. The box A, contains two time-indicating dials O, D, bearing corresponding notations; the index hands 0, c, d, d, of which move simultaneously at precisely equal speeds. For convenience of construction,the indices 0, c, are secured to a common spindle e, and rotate together in one direction; the travel of said indices as they appear when viewed from the opposite dials thereof, being correspondingly right and left. The notations of the respective dials are accordingly reversed as represented in Figs. 2, and 3, but in all other respects correspond with one another.

The index hands 0, 0, may be actuated by any suitable means. I illustrate index hands 0, c, which are designed to revolve say two revolutions per second or any number of revolutions per second found most convenient to obtain accurate record of minute fractions of a second to any desired degree. The index hands 01, d, illustrated, are intended to register one minute per revolution. Additional notating dials and index hands may be arranged concentrically or apart from the circle of the dials C,or D, adapted to uotate greater durations of time when the apparatus is em ployed for other purposes than that shown.

Suitable clock work is indicated in Fig. 1, for revolving the indices 0, c, d, d; the same consisting in a revolving drum 1, spur wheels 2, 2, thereon, and pinions 3, 3, upon sleeves 4, 4, bearing the minute hands 61, 61, while a spur-wheel 5, pinion 6, counter-shaft 7, spurwheel 8, and pinion 9, upon shaft e, comprise a means of rotating the rapidly revolving indices c, c. The drum 1, is revolved preferably by means of a weight 11, indicated by dotted lines suspended therefrom by a cord in the axis of the apparatus, which is for convenience made to revolve upon the tripod B.

The index mechanism is started preparatory to the operation of the apparatus by means of a suitable releasing device 12.

Opposite to the dials O, D, within the box A, are placed two respective photographic cameras E, F, the lenses of which are permanently exposed, and the said cameras are provided with dry film plates 13, 14, adapted for instantaneous photography. Suitable or usual means are provided for changing the plates at suitable times.

G, H, represent induction coils respectively connected electrically with the two sources from which the successive events are caused to efiect the electrical circuits. The secondary coils of G, H, include electrodes or other spark or flash producing devices 15, 16, by which the interior of the one compartmentor the other of the box A, are momentarily illuminated when the events occur.

In the lower portion of Fig. 1, I, indicates the first screen and J, the second screen interposed in the path of a projectile K, discharged from a gun. The screens I, J, are arranged in any suitable or usual manner such as heretofore employed, each composed of a continuous insulated wire woven into a screen which is ruptured by the passage of the projectile, thereby breaking the connecting circuit. The primary coils of G, and H, including a battery, are separately connected as indicated to the screens I, J.

In the operation of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the press button 12, is depressed to release and start the clock work of the indicating mechanism at any suitable time previous to the discharge of the projectile K. The operation of the apparatus is thereafter automatic. When the projectile K, ruptures screen I, circuit 20 is broken so as to induce a spark at 15, illuminating the interior of the compartment M, producing a negative on the plate 13, showing the exact position occupied by the rapidly rotating index hand c, and hand d, at that time. When the projectile has traversed a known distance to the screen J, rupturing the latter, circuit 21 is broken so as to induce a spark at 16, momentarily illuminating compartment N, producing a negative on plate 14, of the exact position occupied by index hands 0, d, at that instant. The two negatives on plates 13, 14:, will, owing to the synchronism of motion between indices of dials O, D, thereby make a showing of the exact duration of time to the fraction of a second, occupied in the flight of a projectile from I, to J.

My invention is not herein intended to be limited to the species of construction illustrated, and that within the meaning of said invention, exposure of the plates may be effected by any suitable electrical, mechanical or other means. Moreover, the invention is not limited by the employment of a rotary index or circular dial. A rectilinear or other scale and any suitable means of indicating uniform motion with relation to said scale, may be substituted for the devices shown Having thus fully described my invention, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a mechanism for recording the speed of a moving object, the combination with a moving object of a time indicator having a graduated scale and a hand movable relatively thereto, a photographic apparatus for record-.

ing a position of said hand relatively to a position of said moving object, and mechanism operated by the moving object for cans ing an exposure of the time indicator and photographic apparatus.

2. In a mechanism for recording the speed of a moving object, the combination with a moving object, of a time indicator having a graduated scale and a hand movable relatively thereto, a photographic apparatus for record ing a position of the hand relatively to the scale, a dark box containing said time indicator and photographic apparatus, an apparatus for providing a light exposure to said time indicator and photographic apparatus, and mechanism operated by the moving object for actuating the light exposure apparatus.

3. In a time recording apparatus the combination of a time indicator, a photographic apparatus, a dark box containing said time indicator and photographic apparatus, and an illuminating apparatus within the box operated by a moving object.

4. In a time recording apparatus, the combination of a dark box, two or more dials therein provided with indices and means for imparting continuous motion thereto simultaneously, two or more corresponding photographic cameras within said box focused on the respective dials, two or more electrical circuits or branches of a circuit including electrical illuminating devices adapted to illuminate the respective dials and means for separately affecting said circuits or branches of a circuit by the two or more successive events to be recorded.

ISAAC N. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

M. J. SPENCER, H. F. PARKER. 

